Elastic lamps, constructions, mountings and receptacles



J. J. HORAN 3,11 ,717

ELASTIC LAMPS, CONSTRUCTIONS; MOUNTINGSAND RECEPTACLES Jan. 21, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Feb. 7, 1959 FIG.8

INVENTOR.

JOHN J HORAN J. J. HORAN 3,118,717

ELASTIC LAMPS, CONSTRUCTIONS, MOUNTINGS AND RECEPTACLES Jan. 21, 1964 FIG.I2

FIG. IO

Original Filed Feb. 7, 1959 FIG. I?)

INVENTOR.

JOHN J HORAN United States Patent Gfice 3318,73? Patented Jan. 21, 1984 3,118,717 ELASTEC LAlviPS, CONSTRUCTKONS, MOUNTINGS AND RECEPTACLES John Joseph Hot-an, 420 Quigley Ave., Willow Grove, Pa. Continuation of application Ser. No. 791,907, Feb. 7,

1953, now Patent No. 3,020,437, dated Feb. 6, 1962.

This application Apr. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 21,408

3 Claims. (Cl. 339-219) This application is submitted in continuation of my application No. 791,907, filed February 7, 1959, now Patent No. 3,020,437, for Elastic Lamps, Principles, Constructions, Mountings, and Methods, in which I introduced the concept of placing compliance in the lamp instead of in the socket or receptacle.

In FIGS. 14 and 15 of my prior disclosure, there was shown a construction in which the two electrical leads of the lamp terminated in opposing compliant halves of an annulus which permitted the lamp to be inserted into an annular receptacle having no compliance, the radial pressure of the two halves providing both the necessary electrical contact force and the mechanical holding force. In this application my object is to disclose further specific exploitation of the basic concepts of elastic lamp mounting and construction, with particular emphasis upon opposed mechanical orientation of the two electrodes. It is also my object to introduce a compact and economical contact adapter which permits the lamps to be inserted in simple holes pierced or drilled in panels or other sheetmetal components, with simultaneous electrical contact to both sides of the filament or other radiant energy producing device. It is my object to eliminate the structure and bulk of sockets which have heretofore supplied both contact compliance and insertion stop means for lamps. Other objects of the invention set forth in the above-mentioned prior application are also objects of this continuation. Still other objects and novel features of this invention will become apparent in the balance of the application, in the claims, and in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned view of a lamp and contact adapter of this invention during installation. The lamp has not been fully advanced into terminal position;

FIG. 2 is a view looking at the lamp and contact adapter from below the panel;

FIG. 3 is a view from below of the base and contact arrangement or a similar lamp containing two radiant energy producing devices having a common ground;

FIG. 4 is a view of a third form of this invention, the base cover not having been assembled and the mounting panel being sectioned;

FIG. 5 is an elevation of the base of the lamp of FIG. 4 at a right angle to the plane of FIG. 4, the base cover being in place;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of t to base of the lamp of FIG. 4, the plane of the view intersecting the upper rivets;

FIG. 7 is a partly sectioned view of a fourth form of elastic lamp, as installed;

FIG. 8 is an elevation of the angle to FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a partly sectioned view of a fifth form of elastic lamp as installed;

FIG. 10 is an elevation angle to FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a partly sectioned view of a sixth form of elastic lamp;

FIG. 12 is an elevation of the lamp of FIG. 11 at a right angle to FIG. ll;

FIG. 13 is a view of the installed lamp of FIG. ll, from below.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, there is shown a glass bulb 3., having therein a radiant energy producing device, such as a filament. Two electrodes 3, 4, communilamp of FIG. 7, at a right of the lamp of FIG. 9 at a right 2 eating with the device inside, emerge from the bulb base 7 and are soldered or spotwelded 8, 9 to the inner ringshaped ends 19, 11 of contact projections 12, 13. A lowexpansion lamp base 14-, preferably containing mineral filler, is molded or cast upon the bulb base after a thin binding coating 15, which may be of similar material with less filler, has first been applied to secure the parts against movement during processing.

Contact projection 12 grounds upon the edge 17 of the hole in the panel 18 into which the lamp has been inserted. Contact projection 13 wipes and mates with the contact adapter, next described.

The contact adapter comprises an insulating strip 19 bonded to a contact strip 20 and looped over the edge 21 of the hole in the panel 18 and secured in place with thermoplastic rivet 22, the head 23 of which is uppermost in FIG. 1. The end 24 of the rivet 22 is heatswaged or mushroorned to hold the insulating strip 19 and contact strip 20 permanently in place. The contact strip 213 has a tabular extension 25 to accommodate soldering of the live lead.

As seen in FIG. 2, the presence in a circular hole of the contact adapter leaves a it-shaped opening. Since the lamp base may also be of D-shaped construction, the lamp installation is polarized and cannot be made incorrectly.

Flange 26, which does not show in FIG. 1 but is indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 2, serves as an insertion stop, as will any lateral projection having been located at the correct axial distance from the contact projections. The insertion stops in my elastic lamps prevent the lamps from being inserted beyond the areas of electrical contact with thin plates or panel receptacles; and they eliminate the necessity for deep sockets or other means to perform this mechanical function.

The elasticity and profile configurations of the contact projections i2, i3 insure good electrical contact. The fact that both narrow projections wipe the corresponding surfaces of the hole edge and the contact adapter removes one of the most common causes of failure of lamps to light properly if at all, owing to accumulations of oxide on bayonet pins and on the center contacts of conventional lamps and sockets. The contour and elasticity of the projections serves also to insure that the lamp will stay in place and in contact despite vibration. To withdraw the lamp, sufficient pull must be exerted to deflect the contact projections in the same manner that force must be provided during insertion.

Obviously, polarized multi-element devices are quite possible, FIG. 3, now of reference, containing one arrangement.

Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, there is shown a third form of lamp in accordance with this invention. The press portion 31 of the glass envelope 32 is necked fiat at 33 to accommodate itself between the curved inner ends 34 of contact pins 35. The contact pins 35 have in turn been contoured to be confined between the neck 33 and the inner surfaces of the plastic rivets 36 which project from and are integral with the base body 37. Prior to assembly of the base cover 38 (not shown in FIG. 4) to the base body 37, the electrodes projecting from the press 31 are spotweided to the inner ends 34 of the contact pins 35. The base cover is then secured in place by heat-swaging heads 39 on the ends of the rivets 36 and head -d on rivet 41. Flange 42 serves as an insertion stop. The contact adapter is he same one previously described.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, there is shown a fourth form of elastic lamp. The glass body 51 is necked 52 at the press 53 to permit the contact assembly 54, 55, 56, initially fabricated in one piece for easy handling, to be snapped in place and to permit the electrodes 57, which project from the end of the press 53, to be spotwelded to the contact assembly 54, 55, 5'6. 7 A binding coating 52 is ieXt applied; The base body 58 is then molded in situ; and the lower junction portion54 of the contact assemb y 5 55, 55, together with the lower portion {dotted lines) of the base body 53, is cut off to prevent shunting of electrical current via the now-useless junction 54. Contacts 55, 56 may optionally not be fully formed prior to molding. For example, contact 55 may be configured in accordance with the dotted outline 69 during and prior to the molding operation and then bent to the final outline after the base body 58 has been taken from the mold. Flange 61 serves as an insertion stop. I Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, there is shown a fifth form of elastic lamp, in which the glass body 71 a threaded base press 72 of double pitch. Both contact projections 74, 75 are initially part of a doublecoiled spring 73, '74, 75', 89, having a crossover junction as shown by the dotted outline '73. Thus, alternate coils of the double spring lead to opposite sides of the filament, one spring half terminating in the right contact '75 and one in the left Contact 74. The ele trodes leading from the radiant energy producing device inside the bulb emerge on opposite sides from the bottom 77 of the base press 72. One of these electrodes 76 is spotwelded to the bottom convolution on the near side, providing continuity to the right contact 75. The other electrode, which is hidden, is spotwelded to the bottom convolution on the hidden side and provides continuity to the left contact '74. After the spotwelding operation, the base press 72 is dipped into a binding composition, leaving a hard coating 73 over the base press 72 and the spring portion and permitting cutoff of the junction 73 prior to molding of the lamp base 79. As in the prior instance, the contacts 74, '75 may be finish-bent after molding. Flange 81, serving as an insertion step, has an integral projection 82 which hides the live contact strip 2% of the contact adapter from view from the front of the panel 18.

In FIG. 9 the hole for receiving the lamp is so near the edge83 of the panel that there is no room for the usual small hole shown in prior figures for receiving the plastic rivet of the contact adapter. Instead, the rivet $4, which preferably has an oblong stem cross section, one edge of which lies close along the edge 83 of the panel .18, squeezes the contact strip 2% and the insulating strip 19, asymmetrically cocking the rivet S4 somewhat, as shown.

Referring now to FlGS. 11, 12 and 13, there is shown a sixth form oi elastic lamp in accordance with this invention. Like the prior embodiment, this one also employs a double-coiled spring 85, snapped in place or Wound upon the thread-molded base 36 of a glass envelope 37. The juncture 88, shown dotted, between the two sets of spring convolutions had been bent up and away from the base 36, permitting it to be sheared off after the electrodes 59 have been spotwelded to the nearest respective convolutions of the spring 85 and after the binding coating 91) has been applied. 'Ehe remote electrode and corresponding half-convolution are necessarily obscured in PK 11. In this lamp, unlike prior embodiments, the contact projections 91, 92 emerge from the bottom and are contoured upwardly toward the top of the base 93. The flange 94 may serve as an insertion stop. The bent-over tips 95, 96 ofthe contacts 91, 92 may :serve instead.

it will be obvious that various combinations of features 1 have shown can be made and that the principles of my lamps may be combined with various types of conventional lamps and installations. Such modifications and combinations will become obvious to those skilled in the :art Without departing from the true scope of my applications; and it is, accordingly, intended in the appended claims to cover such equivalents as may fall within the .true scope of my inventions and Without the prior art. I

Wish it understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts which I have described or shown or specifically covered by claims.

Therefore, I claim:

1. An adapter for use in electrical installations comprising the following components: a rivet formed of heatsoftenable material, said rivet preferably having a relatively broad head and narrow shank; a thin strip of insulating material; and a thin metallic strip, preferably of lesser width than that of said insulating strip, said strips both having been formed into a generally U-shaped contour, the metal strip having been proportioned to serve 'as the outer surface of the said U-shape and the insulating strip having been proportioned to serve as the inner surface thereof, said strips each having holes through both ends of the U-shape, said holes being in sufiic'ien'tly good registry to permit admission of the shank of said rivet therethrough, said metal strip having an extension at one end adapted to serve as a solderable electrical connection therefor.

2. A receptacle for electrical installations comprising: a piece of thin metal having an opening therein, the metal surrounding said opening being relieved at one point very close to said opening; a strip of thin insulating material having a U-shaped contour, the arms of the U extending from said opening along both surfaces of the said piece of metal beyond the point at which said piece of metal has been relieved; a strip of thin metal of U-shaped profile, the arms of the U-shaped metal strip extending respectively along the exposed surfaces of the said insulating strip, both of said strips having opposed holes through both of said arms, said holes being in registry with each other and with the area where the said piece of metal has been relieved; and a rivet made of insulating material and preferably having a head large enough to cover most of said strip of metal on one side, the shank of said rivet passing through said holes'in registry, the end of said shank emerging from said holes having been expanded to prevent withdrawal thereof and to clamp all said arms in place, said strip of thin metal having an extension from one arm adapted to serve as a solderable electrical connection therefor.

3. A contact adapter for accommodating electrical devices comprising: a thin strip of insulating material; a thin metallic strip preferably of lesser width; an insulating fastener; and means for electrical connection to said metallic strip, said strips having been formed generally into a U-shape, said metallic strip being outward, said strips having holes in registry for admission of said fastener therethrough, said insulating strip having been adapted to grip a portion of the edge of an opening in thin extraneous materialwhich has clearance near said opening for passage of said fastener, s'aid metallic strip being thereby positioned to serve as an electrical contact against a lamp or other extraneous electrical device inserted into said opening.

References Cited in th e file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. AN ADAPTER FOR USE IN ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS COMPRISING THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS: A RIVET FORMED OF HEATSOFTENABLE MATERIAL, SAID RIVET PREFERABLY HAVING A RELATIVELY BROAD HEAD AND NARROW SHANK; A THIN STRIP OF INSULATING MATERIAL; AND A THIN METALLIC STRIP, PREFERABLY OF LESSER WIDTH THAN THAT OF SAID INSULATING STRIP, SAID STRIPS BOTH HAVING BEEN FORMED INTO A GENERALLY U-SHAPED CONTOUR, THE METAL STRIP HAVING BEEN PROPORTIONED TO SERVE AS THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE SAID U-SHAPE AND THE INSULATING STRIP HAVING BEEN PROPORTIONED TO SERVE AS THE INNER SURFACE THEREOF, SAID STRIPS EACH HAVING HOLES THROUGH BOTH 